Bad Day
by Isica
Summary: Sometimes, you're just unlucky. Normally for Rusty, unlucky means something different. This time, he's just sick.
1. Chapter 1

**Bad Day**

Disclaimer: **Not mine.**

Takes place around late season four/early season five.

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 **Chapter 1**

Jesus he was sick.

Rusty crawled out of his room long after Sharon had left for work. Thank god he didn't have college or work, or any expectations for the day, because he would never have fulfilled them.

He barely made it to the bathroom in time for the first of many bouts of vomiting. For most of the day he lay on the couch, dozing and sipping water in between the trips to throw up.

He was fairly certain he had a fever too. He alternated extreme heat and extreme cold, shivering and sweating throughout the day.

More than once he thought of calling Sharon, or even Flynn at a push, to come home and take care of him. Each time he pushed the thought to the back of his mind. They were busy, and their jobs certainly weren't the type that could just be put on hold to deal with a sick child. And besides, he wasn't a child anymore; he could probably cope on his own until Sharon returned home.

Unfortunately, the case was more prolonged than he anticipated. Sharon Raydor had been gone twenty-nine straight hours and Rusty was dozing once more when Sharon's key turning in the lock startled him back to semi-wakefulness.

 **MCMCMC**

Sharon walked into her condo and was immediately confronted with the pile of blankets on the couch. She was about to reprimand Rusty for leaving them there when she noticed movement beneath them.

'Rusty?' she asked, moving to face him. 'Are you okay?'

Her son poked his head out from underneath the blanket where, she could now see, he was huddling from cold. _My goodness_ , she thought. _He looks awful_.

'Hey Mom,' he said croakily, then looked surprised at the sound of his own voice. 'Stomach bug. Be fine soon.'

Her nose caught the scent of the bathroom from the open door. He'd obviously been sick too. Poor boy. 'Let's get you back to bed,' she suggested. 'I'll give you a hand.'

Rusty hooked an arm around her neck, which should have made her think twice, because he hated accepting help and shied away from excessive contact. They had gotten two steps into the hallway when Rusty paused. 'Sharn,' he slurred. 'Feel dizz...'

He suddenly collapsed into her and only years of training her reflexes enabled her to support him adequately. She laid her son safely onto the floor and calmly checked his pulse. She wasn't worried. He probably overheated.

Five seconds after removing her fingers from his wrist she was on the phone. 'Hello? I need an ambulance to this address. Officer ID Raydor, Sharon. My son has collapsed.' She hung up the phone and dialled Flynn. 'Andy? It's Rusty. He's unconscious. I've called an ambulance. Can you meet me at the hospital, please?' Again she hung up and gently shook her son's shoulders. 'Rusty come on, wake up. Rusty? Rusty!'

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I don't know where this came from. But it's my first Major Crimes story so I would appreciate some feedback. Updates to follow.


	2. Chapter 2

Bad Day

Disclaimer: **As before.**

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Chapter 2

The ambulance arrived twenty minutes later, by which time Sharon was champing at the bit. Okay, admittedly she hadn't made it sound that urgent on the phone, but Rusty was barely breathing and she'd used her police I.D. because he was still a witness to Stroh, and the irrational part of her wondered if he'd managed to get to her son.

When the paramedics finally walked through the door Sharon greeted them politely, led them to the hallway where she'd covered Rusty with a blanket and a pillow to support his head, and gave them a detailed description of what had occurred.

While Rusty was being examined, Sharon moved around the condo meticulously retrieving items in case he needed to stay in hospital. She detached herself from the situation and sought refuge in practicality and rhythm.

 _Click._ She picked up toothbrush and toothpaste.

 _Click._ She grabbed his rucksack and threw in a change of clothes.

 _Click._ She added a couple of bottles of water to her work bag and grabbed some fruit snacks as well.

 _Click_. She paused in her living room, a bag in each hand. The paramedics had apparently decided to take Rusty in and were lifting him onto a stretcher. The sight of her youngest son lying motionless between the two men sent a shiver down her spine but she suppressed it ruthlessly. Time enough to panic later.

Mechanically she accompanied the paramedics out of the condo, down the stairs and into the waiting ambulance in complete silence. The ride to the hospital blurred; Sharon was focussed solely on Rusty. Her memory, usually so acute, usually able to store every pixel of her surroundings, seemed to shut down except for the image of Rusty, pale and still on the bed in front of her.

They got to the hospital and Rusty was whisked away. She was pushed into a waiting area and instructed to remain there. This was where Flynn found her ten minutes later, a forlorn figure standing frozen in the middle of the room still clutching the bags.

He walked round to face her, then carefully prised the bags out of her hands. He set them down on one of the chairs and walked back to her. Her face was blank, as though if she showed any expression she would break.

Slowly, gently, he put his arm round her and guided her to a seat next to the bags. He handed her one of the cups of coffee he'd thought to bring with him and settled back in his own chair. Sharon gripped the cardboard cup convulsively and for a second he thought she'd break the flimsy container, but her hands relaxed and he was able to move his eyes away from it to study her.

That awful stony expression was still on her face. She sat rigid on her chair staring at the floor ahead of her. Flynn knew that nothing he could say would induce her to move until she knew Rusty was alright. He was in for the long haul this afternoon.

Feeling a sudden surge of sympathy, he placed his arm around her again and hugged her close. She buried her face in his shoulder and he pulled her in more tightly. They had been dating long enough for him to know that she would not lose control in public, but here, wrapped in his arms, he had created a private place for her to unravel.

He was not surprised when he felt her shoulders shake. The adrenaline she had been grasping ever since Rusty had collapsed on her was dissipating fast, and perhaps it was better she regained her equilibrium sooner rather than later.

It did not last long, nor did she cry. Sharon Raydor had an iron grip on her emotions, a necessity borne of years of police work and trying to ensure harmony in a household broken by an alcoholic ex-spouse. By the time the Provenzas, Sykes, Tao, Sanchez, and even Buzz had arrived (she had expected Andy to call them, Rusty was family), she had regained her control and was simply staring grimly into space, conceding only to do so while lying against Flynn's arm.

The rest of the team greeted Flynn quietly, patted Sharon on the arm in sympathy and took their places in the room. The waiting area lapsed back into silence as the team kept vigil.

It really wasn't that long, not long enough to mean a dire situation, but to Sharon it felt like an eternity before a doctor entered the room. She looked taken aback to see so many people in the room but fortunately Patrice stepped forwards and whatever comment she was about to make died on her lips.

'Hello Doctor Singh,' Patrice said very properly. 'Yes, we are all here for Rusty Beck. His mother, Captain Raydor is there,' she indicated.

'Captain,' Dr Singh said. Sharon stood up, Flynn imitating her. 'Are you his father?' she asked, eyeing Flynn in confusion.

'No,' Flynn replied hastily. 'I'm...' he paused, unable to think of an adequate word. This was getting to be a habit.

'This is my partner Andy,' Sharon said, stepping in. Even in this, the most scary of situations, she could feel the rest of the team grinning at one another. They were such children. 'You can talk to both of us.'

'Well, it appears that Rusty has many of the symptoms of meningitis.' Sharon felt her knees go weak at the doctor's words. 'But it doesn't seem to be severe enough to be the full blown condition yet. We are going to do a lumbar puncture later in the day in order to confirm the diagnosis. In the meantime, his fever is still high, so we'll let him sleep and we have given him antibiotics as a precaution. I'm sure you want to see him, but it is best to let him rest for now, so the two of you may look through the door, but I'm afraid that's all you can do.'

'I have a bag for him,' Sharon managed to say. 'Could that be put in the room?'

'Of course Captain. I will hand you over to one of the nurses and they will escort you to your son's room.'

Dr Singh signalled to the door of the waiting area and a smiling nurse came in. She cheerfully took the rucksack out of Sharon's hand and they walked down the corridor to Rusty's room.

Peeping through the window in the door, Sharon could see that Rusty was hooked up to an I.V. and his flushed face was at least free of pain lines as he slept. The nurse slipped into the room and deposited the bag on the chair next to the bed before exiting silently.

'You can stay at the hospital,' she said, 'but I would recommend you go home. Mr Beck won't be waking up for a while, and you can't remain in the room during the lumbar puncture, so it is probably best to return later this evening.'

'Thank you,' Flynn replied, because Sharon seemed incapable of speech for once. 'I'll take her home.'

The nurse nodded and disappeared into another patient's room to check on them. Flynn led Sharon away from Rusty's door, although he felt her body protest _. Mama Bear wants to stay and protect her cub,_ he thought to himself.

They went back to the waiting area and Flynn delivered the update in Rusty's condition in the calmest voice he could manage. As a former nurse, Patrice frowned at his vagueness, but Flynn was not the one who would have to endure her endless questioning in the car on the way home. _Good luck with that Provenza_.

The team dispersed after Flynn promised to send updates via text, and calls if it was an emergency. He walked Sharon to his car and got her comfortable in the passenger seat before getting in himself and driving away.

They had just left the hospital grounds when Sharon turned to him. 'Meningitis,' she said weakly. 'What if it is? My poor boy!'

He'd only ever seen this happen in cliché tv shows and films, but Flynn had to pull over and comfort his distraught girlfriend. For the first time in his life, he saw Sharon Raydor cry.

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Thank you so much for the first chapter reviews. Hope you like this. More to come.


	3. Chapter 3

Bad Day

Disclaimer: **As before.**

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Chapter 3

She did not cry for long; perhaps a total of five minutes, Andy couldn't tell. When it was over (and it wasn't dramatic anyway, more quiet than stormy), she disentangled herself from Flynn and turned towards the window.

He wasn't bothered by this. Her knew her well enough to know that she would be feeling embarrassed by her outburst. The rest of the ride to her condo was conducted in silence.

When they arrived, Flynn calmly walked her over to the sofa. He switched the kettle on and produced two cups of coffee, one of which he set down in front of her. He proceeded to clear away the blanket and pillow in the hallway, placing them by Rusty's door. He went back into the kitchen and took the liberty of poking through the fridge. Sharon watched him disinterestedly; she seemed not to care about his usurpation of her house.

Through some miracle, he found some ingredients he could work with. Guessing accurately that she wouldn't feel like eating much, he toasted the bread, spread it generously with butter and presented the stack to his girlfriend.

'Thanks,' she muttered as she took a long gulp of the coffee. She selected a piece of the toast and Andy joined her on the sofa.

He ensured that she not only finished her coffee but ate a sustainable amount of the toast. When he couldn't persuade her to eat any more, he simply moved slightly closer and slipped his arm around her. Sharon had always been a tactile person, so it was no surprise that she cuddled up against him. Neither of them had slept for over thirty hours, so it came as no shock to Flynn that he felt his eyelids drooping. His grip on Sharon slackened and he dozed off.

Being much more worried about the present situation, she remained awake. Refusing to let her mind run away to worse case scenarios, she sought refuge in logical processing.

1\. Rusty was in the best place possible for his recovery, whatever he would have to recover from.

2\. Stroh hadn't breached their defences, Rusty was ill from natural causes.

3\. Andy was here. And the Major Crimes unit would cover her so she could spend time at the hospital.

She looked up at the man sleeping next to her. Bless him. The case they had just worked on was relatively quick but intense, and it was no wonder he was tired. For herself, she considered that even if she had definitively known Rusty's diagnosis, she would have been too agitated to sleep.

Regardless, her rational mind argued that sleep was elusive, rest was certainly essential if she was required to remain awake tonight. She closed her eyes and relentlessly summoned memories of her son; his ability to defy all the odds, how far he'd come in five short years, his academic success, finding out the identity of Alice, meeting Gus...

Gus. Sharon snapped her eyes open. Gus didn't know. She was under no illusions about the state of their relationship. When Gus was around the happiness shone out of Rusty's face. He deserved to be told as soon as possible.

Sighing, she delicately extricated herself from Andy's arms and crept to her bag. Pulling out her phone, she went to her bedroom, out of earshot from her sleeping partner.

'Gus Wallace,' he answered on the third ring.

'Gus, it's Sharon Raydor,' she said.

'Hello Sharon,' he said politely. 'How are you?'

'I'm fine,' she said, but apparently, Gus had either learned to read her as well as her children, or she had lost her ability to assume a monotone, for he immediately asked, 'What's wrong?'

'Gus,' she began, 'Rusty has been taken into hospital. The doctors believe he may have meningitis. I don't want you to worry, but...'

'Of course I'm going to worry!' he shouted down the phone. 'Can I see him?'

'I don't know,' she admitted. 'I'm at home now and I can't return until the evening. They wouldn't let me in earlier today. Let me go tonight to see him, get a definitive diagnosis and I'll call you the minute I leave. We can make arrangements from there.'

'I'll be working this evening,' he said, 'but I finish at 2230. Call me after that please?'

'Of course,' she said warmly.

'Thanks for keeping me in the loop,' he said with gratitude.

'Rusty would want me to,' she said with conviction. 'I'll speak to you later Gus.'

'Goodbye Sharon,' he said and hung up.

She went back to the living room where Andy was waiting patiently for her. 'Was it the hospital?' he asked.

'I called Gus,' she replied, sitting back down next to him. Andy groaned. 'Oh jeez, I completely forgot about Gus, I'm so sorry.'

'It's okay,' she said, making a half-smile at him. 'You got everyone else, and Gus wouldn't have been able to get there anyway.'

Relieved to see the grim expression off her face, he gently pulled her towards him and kissed her forehead. 'It's going to be okay, you know,' he said. 'That kid has never faced an obstacle he hasn't beaten.'

'I know,' she sighed against his cheek. 'But I can't help but worry.'

'Of course you can't,' he said. 'You're his mother. It's your instinct.'

Not many people at work actually referred to Rusty as her son, most of them much preferring to use his name, and the unaccustomed phrase created a deep glow inside her. She interlocked her fingers with Andy's, and they remained on the sofa talking quietly until the evening.

Andy drove them back to the hospital. Sharon sat in a stoic silence. As they approached the entrance she took a deep breath and practically ran to the reception.

Fortunately, Rusty was in the same room as before, and the pair were just about to walk in when a nurse waylaid them. Although she wasn't able to answer Sharon's frantic questions on Rusty's condition, she did promise to find a doctor that was directly involved. The nurse then handed Flynn and Sharon a mask each and insisted they be worn when inside Rusty's room. The couple tied them on quickly and finally went into the room.

Rusty was awake, but there was a fine sheen of sweat across his face and his eyes glittered. Sharon surmised he had a fever. She tried to smile with her eyes as she sat by the bed.

'Mom...' Rusty's voice, normally so strong, came out as a hoarse whisper. Had she been feeling punnish, Sharon would have described it as "rusty." But not today. 'Hey sweetheart,' she said soothingly. 'How are you feeling?'

'This motel is so noisy,' he complained. 'Why can't we go to a better one?'

Sharon frowned. Flynn decided to intervene. 'Rusty, you're in the hospital,' he said calmly. 'It'll get quieter soon.'

'Gary?' Rusty frowned in his turn. Sharon's hand found Andy's. She gripped it so tightly she almost broke a bone.

'Rusty, it's Andy Flynn,' Andy said in that same calm tone. 'Do you remember?'

'Flynn?' Rusty croaked. 'Can you get me out of here?'

'Not at the moment honey,' Sharon said. 'Soon.'

'Mom, I'm scared,' Rusty said.

'Why?' she asked, puzzled.

He gripped her arm. 'Stroh was here. He's going to come back. Don't leave me alone.'

'Stroh was here?' Flynn repeated. 'How? When?' He and Sharon drew their guns and he ducked outside to check the corridor.

'Not long,' he heard Rusty say. 'He was standing over me.'

Flynn encountered a doctor in the corridor, who – extremely calmly, to his credit – raised an eyebrow at the gun. 'And your reason for the weapon?' he asked.

'I'm LAPD,' Flynn said. 'Rusty – the patient in the room behind me – said he saw a particularly bad person in his room recently.' A truly magnificent understatement of Stroh, he thought.

'Ah, Mr Beck, I was just coming to him,' the doctor said. 'You're Flynn, aren't you? And I assume the woman inside is his mother?'

'Yes.'

'Then relax sir, and put your gun away. I believe I can explain the presence of this "particularly bad person,"' the doctor said.

Flynn did so and stepped back into the room. He gestured to Sharon to put away her gun, it would look bad if she shot the doctor.

'Sharon, this is the doctor. He's come to update you,' he said.

Doctor?' she said, glancing between the man and Rusty.

'You will be pleased to know that Mr Beck doesn't have meningitis,' the doctor began briskly. Sharon sagged in relief. 'However, he is suffering from a severe viral infection, accompanied by a bad fever. There have already been a couple of incidents this afternoon which demonstrated a tendency to hallucinate, which would explain your "particularly bad person," for no one other than staff has been in here.'

Sharon looked at Flynn. 'Stroh,' he clarified quietly. She nodded.

I must ask you to keep these masks on when you visit,' the doctor said, gesturing to his own. 'Rusty's immune system is fragile at present and he won't cope well with any germs you might have. We will have to limit the number of visitors as well. Other than the two of you, is there anyone else who has priority to visit?'

'Possibly Gus, his partner,' Sharon said. 'Although,' she added thoughtfully, 'he works as a chef in a restaurant kitchen. He might not be able to visit for hygiene reasons. I'll call him later.'

'I understand,' the doctor said. 'And I know it is a short visit, but I suggest you allow Mr Beck to get some more rest. You can visit again tomorrow.'

'Of course Doctor,' Flynn said quickly, for he knew Sharon would protest. 'We'll just say goodbye.'

Sharon bent over the bed. 'Rusty, we have to go now,' she said in a soothing tone. 'We'll be back tomorrow.'

'Mom, don't leave me,' Rusty said in a suddenly agitated tone. He struggled to sit up. 'Stay here.'

She felt helpless; her instinct to stay battling against her rational obedience to doctors' orders.

'Mom, don't leave,' Rusty's eyes were glittering again. The doctor called for a nurse as Rusty gripped Sharon's arm. 'Don't leave!'

Flynn ruthlessly pulled Sharon away from the bed and Rusty attempted to follow. The doctor pushed him back against the pillow as the boy struggled weakly. Flynn literally pulled his partner out of the room.

'Mom,' Rusty said, just loud enough for her to hear. 'Mom!'

A nurse walked past them with a syringe. They watched as she plunged it into Rusty's IV as soon as she got close enough. He kept struggling for about twenty seconds, then slumped.

'Poor Rusty,' Sharon said as they returned to the car. She dug around in her bag. 'I must call Gus.'

Andy waited to drive as Sharon phoned Rusty's boyfriend. As she'd suspected, he regretfully had to decline to visit, due to his employer's hygiene rules. However, he requested updates at least daily.

'Do you want me to stay with you tonight?' Flynn said as he started the door. 'Or would you prefer to be alone?'

'I think I would like some company,' she said. 'Do you need to go back to yours first?'

'Only to pick up some clothes for work tomorrow,' he replied. 'And don't worry about coming in. We can cover you so you can go to the hospital.'

Sharon didn't answer him and they remained quiet until they arrived at his place. She opted to stay in the car while Flynn rushed through his house grabbing items.

They returned to her condo. It was getting late now, so he picked up a pizza on their way. He proceeded to force a good third of it down Sharon's throat, despite her protestations she wasn't hungry.

They went to bed early; Andy because he knew he would have to work in the morning and Sharon because quite frankly she'd had enough of today.

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Thank you so much for all your kind reviews so far. Please add some more!


	4. Chapter 4

Bad Day

Disclaimer: **As before.**

Author's Note: Slightly smutty chapter with appropriate M-rating. Let's just say that to Andy, Sharon reacts to extreme stress in the best way.

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Chapter 4

The early hours of the morning found Sharon sitting on the sofa in the living room, wrapped in a blanket. She had tried to sleep, but whereas Flynn was finding it easy, she had temporarily given up.

She wasn't as worried as she had been twelve hours ago. Rationality was winning once more. Rusty did not have meningitis, he was pretty ill but eventually he would recover and come home. There really was nothing to worry about.

So why was she still awake?

It wasn't that she wasn't tired; she'd been awake for nearly forty-eight hours and could do with the rest. And it wasn't because she was worried, really, it wasn't, because the doctors had said Rusty would be okay. Sleep just wouldn't come.

She was so wound up it was untrue. She knew she needed to relax, but she had no idea how.

Her musings were interrupted by movement in the hallway. She turned round and saw Andy enter the room. He sat down beside her.

'Can't sleep?' he asked.

She shook her head. 'I should be with Rusty.'

'He's okay,' Andy pointed out. 'He's in the best place he can be. You know neither of you would rest if you were there.'

Sharon was silenced. He was telling the truth. But she was still so tense...

Andy put his arms around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. 'Come on sweetheart. You can't do any good out here. At least try and relax in your own bed,' he whispered into her ear.

Sharon twisted in his arms until she was facing him and pushed her mouth against his, flattening herself against him as she did so. Andy was caught off guard and fell back along the sofa, managing to straighten out as he did so. He might be advancing in years but he had learned very early on in his romantic career that awkward leg placement led to cramps for days afterwards.

Sharon lay flat on him, blanket discarded, kissing him with abandon, pushing herself against him. She was being rougher than normal and a – very small – part of him hated himself for enjoying it. He knew she only acted like this in times of extreme stress, preferring mostly to be gentle. Even when her passionate side came through, she wasn't rough with it. Unfortunately, one of Flynn's weaknesses was a slightly rougher sexual style and he confined his self-loathing to the corner of his mind as he reciprocated, returning her kisses with enthusiasm.

He may enjoy this, but Andy wasn't selfish when it came to Sharon. If she needed this, then he would enjoy the ride as long as she wanted it. Once she was ready to return to her usual calm ways, he wouldn't dream of persuading her otherwise. She was a gift to him, something he never thought he'd receive, and he wouldn't lose her for a night's pleasure.

But right now she was insatiable. She writhed against him, and they both panted against each other. 'Bedroom,' he managed to whisper between gasps. Sharon pulled them up and they managed to walk as far as the hallway, still groping blindly at each other until he pushed her against the wall and they started making out like teenagers.

They were stupidly close, pressed against each other like stacked boards and every twitch of one was felt by the other. Andy knew she could feel how aroused he was but his desire to push further into her from this angle would definitely break a law of physics.

He slid down from her mouth and turned his full attention to her neck. Sharon hissed in pleasure, and god if that wasn't the best sound he'd heard all day. He made a mess of her neck, hitting every spot he knew to overload her. He was careful enough not to leave bruises; the one time he'd made that mistake even Chief Taylor had taken the time to make veiled references to "hungry partners" and "vampires" and Sharon had worn a scarf for a week. He loved seeing her neck exposed at work and a fleeting thought of kissing her like this in her office caused him to groan into the crook of her neck.

Sliding down further, he kissed her breast her through her thin top, and the heat went straight through her, causing her head to tip back and her body to thrust out. 'Fuck,' she panted, and Andy took it as an instruction, not an exclamation, slipping his hand down the front of her underwear.

Quite frankly, Sharon felt so aroused that when she thought about it later she thought it was a miracle she hadn't broken apart at the first touch. She wasn't ever certain what did come out of her mouth, although she was pretty sure it wasn't words, more incoherent sounds.

Andy looked at the woman against the wall; a woman normally so collected and together but currently completely vacant except for her own pleasure. One hand was supporting her on the wall and the other...

He gasped in his turn as her hand raked through his hair. Using his free hand to brace himself against the wall he tipped his own head back into her hand, and suddenly felt bereft when she moved away. The feeling didn't last long though, because she moved her hand lower, and stroked his erection.

Andy nearly collapsed against her as his mind emptied, and only the realisation that her relentless fingers would prevent them actually reaching the bedroom enabled him to yank away and pull them towards their room.

Once inside, he threw her on the bed and stripped her bare. Sharon was practically shaking with anticipation; her fingers trembled as she took her time discarding his few layers. Once they were both naked, she sat up and straddled his lap, grinding against him as she kissed him without mercy. Her hands were everywhere; gliding across every nerve ending and setting them alight.

It was actually becoming painful for Andy to remain as aroused as he was. He laid her back down and thrust himself inside her. He was rewarded for this with a whimper of pleasure and smirked as Sharon's eyes rolled back into her head.

Knowing that he really couldn't last much longer, Andy began moving whilst simultaneously using his fingers on her. Her uninhibited moans of pleasure spurred him on and he suddenly felt her tense up, so tightly he thought she might snap him in two before she shouted – hell, she _screamed_ – his name as she climaxed around him.

It took Flynn all of about five seconds to follow her into oblivion, and he was vaguely aware of moaning Sharon's name repeatedly. Somehow (and god knows how, because he didn't think he was still coherent enough to manage it) Sharon had come again, and she was currently basking in the second wave.

He fell on her with a practised technique, avoiding putting too much weight on her chest. Neither of them were aware of anything for quite a while. Eventually, Andy left the haze he was in to find that finally, Sharon had fallen asleep.

 _One way to do it_ , he thought to himself as he joined her in dreams.

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Thank you for reading. Please review!


	5. Chapter 5

Bad Day

Disclaimer: **As before.**

Author's Note: I've received a few reviews stating their disappointment with the apparent move away from "Mothership" and towards "Shandy." The previous chapter was necessary in order to facilitate this one. The primary focus of this story is the bond between Sharon and Rusty, although obviously there will be moments. Hope this clears up any confusion.

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Chapter 5

Andy woke up wrapped around Sharon. Carefully, he extricated himself and headed to the shower, where he cleaned himself up and got ready for work. He went into the kitchen to prepare some coffee for the pair of them.

Sharon woke up as Andy left the bathroom. For a moment her recollections were blurry, then she realised she was naked and her memory returned. A wave of self-loathing coursed through her as she realised she had basically used her partner as a stress reliever, and had in fact given no thought to Rusty all night.

Feeling disgusted with herself, she pulled on her robe and hurried into the vacant shower, where she ritually scrubbed herself clean of every trace of Andy on her. Her skin reddened under the remorseless application of exfoliant, but Sharon kept on scrubbing. She didn't deserve to have Andy when her son was still so ill. She hated that she could have forgotten him, even in her sleep.

She got dressed and headed into the kitchen, where she accepted the now lukewarm coffee in stony silence, refusing any food. She felt sick at the thought of her behaviour. After she drained the coffee, she stood up from the table.

'I won't be in work,' she announced. 'I'll be spending the day with Rusty. Provenza will be in charge. I'll call him from the car.' She couldn't even bear to look at Andy; he was a visible reminder and reproach that she'd forgotten to be concerned about her son. She grabbed her things.

'But, Sharon...' was all Andy managed to get out before she bolted out of earshot.

Sharon drove like a woman possessed to the hospital. Her mechanical-sounding call to Provenza had the lieutenant raising his eyebrows, and making a mental note to question Flynn extensively on how he'd managed to upset his girlfriend.

Rusty was still asleep when Sharon arrived in his room. She sat down beside him, mask firmly in place. He was still flushed, but a passing nurse informed her he was in a much better condition than when he'd first arrived, and she'd probably be able to take him home in a couple of days.

Before her son woke up Sharon stroked the side of his head. 'I'm sorry honey,' she whispered. 'I'm sorry that I forgot about you for even a second. Sometimes I wonder why I deserve someone as good as you. You are my priority honey, not Andy.'

'Mom?' Her voice, while quiet had been enough to rouse Rusty from his sleep. 'That you?'

'Hey baby.' He sounded much more coherent, although she knew he was still not quite with her.

'Mom,' Rusty sighed, sounding like a child. 'You're here.'

'Of course I am,' she said, holding his hand.

He snuggled closer to the side where she was sitting and dozed off again. He woke up at odd intervals, for no more than half an hour, during the day. They had lucid conversation in these moments, though she doubted Rusty would remember most of them. She stayed with Rusty for all of it, refusing to leave his side. When, in the evening, the doctor put his foot down and asked her to leave, they had to threaten to call security before they could get her out of the room. She eventually staggered out, feeling a little light-headed, as she hadn't eaten all day, although the nausea combined with the continued self-loathing was not really making food seem appealing. Instead, she went home, drained three decaf coffees (three shots of caffeine were too much for late nights if she wasn't working) and attempted to sleep. Of course, sleep eluded her, and she spent the night on the sofa watching trash TV. In a tired haze, she grabbed a biro and wrote _Rusty_ on her hand as a constant reminder and a mental barrier from Flynn.

Although she'd planned to spend the next day with Rusty again, two phone calls intervened. The first was from the hospital, saying he'd had a good night and they were running a couple of follow-up tests, so there was no point her visiting until at least the afternoon. The second call was from Provenza, asking her if she could spare a couple of hours that morning to review some files for a trial that had suddenly been bumped up the list. With the first call allowing for the other, Sharon complied and agreed to be at the department within the hour.

Of course, seeing as how life is never simple, she should have known the review would take longer than a couple of hours. She'd arrived at nine, and six hours later she had barely stopped for caffeine. Some files had gone missing, and there was no time for even a snack as they'd hunted through the archive in order to prep for the trial in two days' time.

At last though, at last they had located the missing files (quite frankly, the records keeper needed to update his training). They were all sitting in the squad room together making yet another check of the evidence when Chief Taylor rushed in. 'You're not going to believe this,' he said breathlessly, without checking who was in the room. 'We've just had a bomb threat for the hospital Rusty's in. It could be a Stroh affiliate.'

All Sharon could hear was a roaring in her ears at this announcement. She looked at Andy in concern, but he seemed to be staring equally worriedly at her...

'Sharon? Sharon!' She could hear him. It was Andy's voice. Why did he sound so worried? Why were her eyes closed?

'What?' she tried to ask, but it came out as a groan. She tried again. 'Andy?'

'It's okay Sharon,' he said gently. 'You just got a bit of a shock on top of a stressful few days. You fainted.'

'Captain, I'm sorry,' another voice joined in. Chief Taylor. 'I didn't realise you were here, and I suppose it was one thing too many.'

The bomb threat. Rusty. She opened her eyes and stared straight at Taylor. 'Rusty?' she asked.

'Provenza has taken the rest of the unit there now,' Andy said. 'He wanted to wait, but we knew it would be the first thing you'd ask.'

Sharon realised she was lying on the sofa in the break room. 'How long was I out?' she asked.

'Not long,' Taylor said. 'Maybe a minute, tops. We carried you in here immediately and Provenza has probably not even left the building yet. Don't worry,' he added at her face, 'no one outside Major Crimes saw you. Your reputation is intact.'

'But don't ever do that again,' Andy said firmly.

'Well now you know how I felt when you were injured,' she smiled weakly at him.

'I'm going to call a doctor for you,' Taylor said, getting out his phone.

'No,' she protested. 'I'm okay. As you said, it was just a bit of a shock.'

'You should have something to drink though,' Andy said, as Taylor put away his phone. 'But not more coffee.'

'Something sweet would be best,' Taylor said. 'Perhaps a hot chocolate or a cup of tea? That British guy in Narcotics swears by tea with sugar when someone's in shock.'

'Yeah well, what do you expect from a British guy?' Flynn said. 'He claims tea's the cure for everything. I had to point out to him it took a significant dive in popularity around here when it took a dive into Boston Harbour.'

Taylor snickered and went to fetch some water. Andy looked at her. She looked away; he made her feel guilty for thinking of something other than Rusty and her job.

'When did you last eat?' his voice pulled her back to the present.

'Um...' she frowned, struggling to recall. 'When we had pizza?' she said. Her head hurt.

Andy frowned in his turn. 'Sharon, that was nearly two days ago! How could you be so foolish? Do you want to be ill too?'

Embarrassingly, she felt tears sting her eyes and she hurriedly closed them and pulled away from him. Fortunately, Taylor returned with the water and she sat up and took it from him, flicking her hair over her face in case any tell-tale drops spilled from her eyes.

'Taylor, will you stay here with her for a moment?' Andy abruptly stood up and moved away. 'She hasn't eaten for a couple of days, and I'm going to get her a sandwich and some chocolate.' He disappeared out the door.

Taylor sat next to Sharon on the sofa. 'I imagine Flynn's been a rock over the past few days,' he said conversationally. 'He must care about you a lot. I hope you treat him well.'

'You know, I saw you turn away from him before I came through the door with the water,' he continued casually. 'Doesn't take Sherlock to figure out you have a problem, and it's related to your partner.'

The chief was more perceptive than people gave him credit for. She felt the tears pricking her eyelids again, and she set down the glass before letting out a few breaths. Surprisingly, she felt an arm around her shoulder.

'Raydor,' Taylor said. 'Sharon, you don't have to tell me, but something is on your mind besides Rusty, and it'll help everyone out if you deal with it.'

She didn't breathe out forming a half sob, she didn't. And now Taylor wasn't actually hugging her, he wasn't. And equally, she wasn't leaning on his shoulder because that would just be too weird, but she was tired and dizzy and headachy and somehow it helped.

'There's nothing wrong,' she managed to say, because even with all this she wasn't suddenly talking to Taylor. 'I just have a headache and I need to see that Rusty is okay. He's is my only priority at the moment.'

What was that expression Rusty had explained to her recently? Throwing shade? Apparently Taylor was really good at it, judging by the expression on his face. 'Uh huh,' he said. 'Your _only_ priority. You know, when your kid is sick, it's important not to forget everyone else's wellbeing in the family too. Including your own. Now,' he said, pulling away from her, 'I hear Flynn returning with food. Eat, or you'll be in the hospital yourself. And I don't mean with Rusty.'

Slightly disturbed that he'd hit so close to the mark, Sharon accepted the sandwich and chocolate bar from Flynn, before begging Taylor to check on her team's status. Surely Rusty wouldn't be hurt. Surely it was a prank. She felt the word on her hand burn.

/

/

Reviews please! And for the record, I am from the UK, so I am allowed to mention the tea stereotype. Also, the next chapter should hopefully be chock full of Sharon/Rusty bonding.


	6. Chapter 6

Bad Day

Disclaimer: **As before.**

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Chapter 6

Provenza didn't call for about half an hour. By this time, Sharon had finished the food and was waiting impatiently for news. When Flynn's phone rang, she felt relieved; regardless of the outcome, she could work with it.

'Flynn,' he answered. 'What's the situation?' He listened attentively for a moment. 'No, no. Okay. Well, I appreciate you calling us. Yeah, I'll tell her. I'll see what she wants to do. Yeah. Bye Provenza.'

He ended the call. 'Yeah, that was Provenza,' he confirmed. 'They've swept a couple of levels of the hospital; the one Rusty's on and one either side. So far they've found nothing, and Tao hasn't even found a trace of explosive residue anywhere in the building, but they're going to finish the sweep. Normally I would suggest we go up there, but having you and Rusty in close proximity is probably not advantageous at this point.'

'Andy,' Sharon said, finding her voice, 'if there is any chance my presence at the hospital could set off a bomb, then I'm not going near it. However, it would ease my mind knowing that you went to help the team.'

Andy considered for a minute, then nodded. 'I'll go, but you need to promise that you'll stay here until we give the all-clear,' he said. 'Have something to drink, and sit here or in your office until you feel better.'

'Yeah I will,' she said. 'Keep me updated?'

'Of course,' he replied, and left.

She sat there for another five minutes, then walked to her office. Once there, she distracted by checking her emails and going through the rest of her admin before plugging in an earpiece and listening in to the events at the hospital.

Flynn had arrived by this time. She identified herself on the frequency and was immediately sent some security footage to review, in conjunction with Buzz. She knew the team were humouring her; she was useless at technology but it gave her something to do and for that she was grateful.

Unfortunately, nothing jumped out at her. As the updates continued to filter through; she felt more and more sure that the whole thing was a hoax. She communicated as much to the team, who by now were on the last level, and they agreed. She called Taylor for more details on the original tip-off and he revealed that the person calling it in had identified themselves as someone with a known connection to Stroh. Buzz offered to do a little digging while Sharon continued with the footage.

Three and a half hours after Chief Taylor had entered Major Crimes, it was reported all clear and the team were returning. It was concluded that the threat had indeed been a hoax, designed to waste resources and by linking it to Stroh, it was targeted specifically at Rusty.

Sharon was annoyed. Not at the team, not at Rusty, not even at Stroh because he was unlikely to be involved. She was annoyed at whoever had called in the hoax (and voice recognition proved it wasn't the name given) and caused all the unnecessary grief.

First things first: the debrief. She welcomed the team back, called Taylor through (on something like this, he had to be included) and together they listened to the report.

'We arrived at the hospital at 1530, and set up a command post,' Provenza began. 'Tao and Buzz remained in there to coordinate and conduct mass sweeping, while the officers split into teams and took levels. At no point did we encounter any trace of explosive residue anomalous to the hospital.'

'But there were some explosives present?' Taylor asked.

'There were, but they were part of the medical equipment and each one was certified safe by the officers,' Tao added.

'If you ask me, the whole thing was a complete waste of time,' Provenza grumbled, and Sharon privately agreed. 'Would you consider it safe for me to visit Rusty now?' she asked.

The team looked at each other. 'Ma'am, have you checked the time?' Sanchez asked softly. 'It's past visiting hours.'

She looked at her watch. 'Of course. Perhaps I will call the hospital to check on his progress instead.' Every instinct screamed at her to go in person, but her rational side pointed out that it was unlikely that the doctors would let her in at this hour.

'In the meantime,' Taylor said, 'I would like the reports on my desk by midday tomorrow. Good work today ladies and gentlemen.' He left the room with his last statement and the team turned expectantly to Sharon.

'I would suggest taking fifteen minutes to make some preliminary notes and then going home,' she said. 'The reports can be written in the morning.'

'Well Patrice will be thrilled,' Provenza said dryly. 'I can't remember the last time I got home early.'

The team got down to preparing their notes and Sharon retreated into her office where she called the hospital. She was quickly put through to the ward.

'Hello, Doctor Singh speaking,' the doctor answered.

'Hello,' Sharon said. 'I'm calling to enquire about my son Rusty Beck. I was unable to visit him today because of the bomb threat but I was hoping you could give me an update on his condition.'

'Actually, Mr Beck has improved significantly,' the doctor said. 'In fact, we are hoping to discharge him tomorrow.'

'That's wonderful news,' Sharon said, a smile breaking across her face. 'I can be there at 1000 tomorrow if you're agreeable.'

'Of course, we'll see you then.'

She ended the call and was still smiling when Andy walked in. 'Good news?' he asked.

'The best,' she replied. 'Rusty could be home tomorrow.'

'That's great,' he said. 'Do you want me to stay tonight?'

'I'll be fine,' she said. 'I have some things to do anyway before Rusty arrives.'

'As long as you eat; I'll see you tomorrow,' Andy said, kissing her cheek.

He left the office and Sharon sighed with tiredness, before gathering up her things and driving home. Once there, she ate and started preparing Rusty's room for his return before dropping into bed and sleeping soundly.

/

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Reviews please! Less Sharon/Rusty than expected, but only one chapter left and he'll definitely be in that.


	7. Chapter 7

Bad Day

Disclaimer: **As before.**

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Chapter 7

As was her wont, Sharon rose fairly early, went through her preparations for the day and was nursing her first cup of coffee when she remembered something fairly significant. Although she had stated her intentions to the doctors to be at the hospital for 1000, her team were unlikely to be aware of this. Nor for that matter, was Taylor. Mind you, he probably wouldn't object to her working at home for the next few days while looking after Rusty. It would be safer for them both to be together, and probably under police protection. After all, Rusty could hardly stay at the office while she worked.

Looking at her watch, and guessing that Taylor would probably be making his way to work by now, she decided to give him a call. He answered promptly, and by the background noise, she figured that he was in the car.

'I hope you're on hands-free,' she said by way of greeting.

'And morning to you too Raydor,' came the reply, and she chuckled. 'How are you feeling this morning?' he asked.

'Fine thank you,' she said. 'I was just a little over-tired yesterday. But I have a favour to ask.'

'Ask away.'

'Rusty is probably being discharged from the hospital today, and I will need to stay here with him for a couple of days, so I was wondering if I could work from home?'

'With a police detail?' Taylor was smart. 'I assume you'd feel safer if Rusty was protected, even if yesterday was a hoax.'

'I know it's a lot to ask,' Sharon said. 'But if he's sick he can't be at the station and I can't really leave him alone. If it actually was Stroh, how much trouble would he have hurting a sick boy?'

'I think the technical term is "young man" now, but I see your point,' Taylor said. 'What time are you going to the hospital? I'll have a car there as security for when you leave.'

'I'm supposed to be there at ten, but you know what hospitals are like for discharging someone,' she said. 'Could be some time.'

'A car will be there no later than 1030,' the chief said.

They hung up, and Sharon downed her drink before proceeding to finish preparing the condo. At 0945 promptly she was out of the door and heading to the hospital. As she had been told, Rusty was much better.

'Hey sweetheart,' she said as she crossed the threshold, free of the mask this time. 'How are you feeling?'

'Like a bus ran me over,' came Rusty's scowling reply. 'Everything aches Mom. I just feel awful.'

'That's good,' Sharon replied as she sat down next to his bed.

'Good?!' he repeated incredulously.

'Well the last time I saw you, you were still pretty out of it,' she pointed out. 'This is the first time you've been able to hold a decent conversation with me in days.'

'I'm sorry I've made you worry,' Rusty said. 'I imagine you've not had a good few days either.'

'I was worried, yes, but it obviously didn't cause me any problems,' she lied. He didn't need to hear about her erratic behaviour. He would only blame himself. 'The main thing is that you are getting better – if not yet feeling it,' she added with a smile.

'I feel ready to go home,' he said. 'The doctor said he'd get here at around 1030 this morning. And you know what doctors' timekeeping is like. So we have some time to wait.'

Sharon snickered at the return of Rusty's dry humour and he smiled at her. Having not seen him do so for several days, she privately felt that it was one of the most welcoming sights she'd ever seen. The 'I've missed you,' slipped out of her mouth almost before she'd finished thinking it.

'I've missed you too,' he said, and that coming from a boy not overtly demonstrative either in word or action, caused a warm feeling to blossom inside the steel core of the captain.

They sat in silence for a minute. After all, how do you follow that with anything? Eventually Sharon broke the silence and she caught Rusty up with the news of the previous few days. He was aware of the bomb threat but hadn't known the call allegedly came from a Stroh affiliate, and Sharon reasoned that since it was a hoax, and neither Provenza nor Flynn could be relied upon to keep their mouths shut, he might as well hear it from her. Besides, he'd probably notice the police protection.

'You know, I'm really starting to dislike Stroh,' was all Rusty said as he settled back against the pillows.

'Me too, sweetheart,' she said as the doctor suddenly bustled in. It was a different one to any she'd previously seen.

'Ah, Captain Raydor, Mr Beck,' he said politely. 'I just need to check a few things, and then we'll see if we can send you home today.'

He performed a few routine examinations, then stood back. 'Obviously you're still not back to full health,' he said, talking to Rusty but primarily addressing Sharon. 'However, to be frank, you'll just be taking up space in the hospital when you can just as easily recuperate at home. We'll sort out a few medications for you, then you can leave.'

'Thank you,' Sharon said gratefully. 'I assume he mainly needs to rest?'

'Indeed,' the doctor said. 'In fact I would recommend at least a week, perhaps closer to two. If his employer requires a doctor's note then please tell them to contact your family doctor in the first instance, who will receive a copy of all notes pertaining to this.'

'Thank you,' Sharon repeated. 'We will wait for the medications here, and I'll start packing your things, okay?' This last being directed at Rusty.

'Okay Mom,' he said listlessly, and Sharon could already see he looked tired again.

She quickly filled his rucksack; he had barely touched it, and the medications appeared with astonishing rapidity. A wheelchair was also provided, and Rusty was taken to her car. Upon being settled in the passenger seat he promptly fell asleep, which created something of a problem for Sharon, as there was no possibility she could carry him to the condo from her car and waking him proved impossible. Fortunately, for the first time in a few days, luck was on her side. The protection officers she had requested had been waiting in the car park for her where they'd followed her home and the stronger one – Lieutenant Davies, she recalled – offered to carry him while his partner cleared the way. She brought up the rear, wearing Rusty's rucksack and carrying her gun on one side and her handbag in the other. The group must have looked ridiculous, she reflected later, but she didn't care. Rusty was the priority. Nothing else.

They got to her front door and Sharon unlocked it. The officer at the front went to clear the lounge and Davies laid Rusty gently onto the couch before he accompanied his partner in clearing the other rooms. It was declared safe and the officers went to stand outside the front, but not before they graciously accepted an offer of coffee from Sharon, once she had Rusty settled.

She added an extra blanket to her son's sleeping form and a softer pillow under his head. He was completely sunk into sleep; he hadn't stirred since he was put in the car, and for the first time in a long time he looked younger than his age. A lifetime of hardship had caused him to mainly sleep half-alert to any sound, and the fact that he felt safe enough to completely relax caused another warm glow.

She started the coffee and handed it to the officers outside. Then she sat and watched her son sleep in between checking her emails on her laptop and skyping with the office. It was pleasant. It was calm. It was nice.

Three days later, though she wouldn't have admitted it out loud, she was bored. Her team had caught a case, so although they were keeping her in the loop, they were working long hours and she badly needed to talk to someone in person. Rusty was still spending most of the day sleeping, so most of her day was spent on skype or checking her emails. On the other hand, she couldn't remember the last time she had been so up-to-date with her admin.

Her phone beeped. She glanced at it. A message from Andy.

 _Can't talk properly now. Is it okay to come over tonight? Will bring food. A x_

She almost broke the phone in her haste to type a reply.

 _Would be nice to have the company. Chinese or Thai? S x_

Beep. _You like Thai more. A x_

Sometimes she really loved that man.

 **MCMCMCMCMC**

A few hours later she received another text from Andy stating that he had just arrived downstairs, and she duly warned the officers he was coming up. She caught their sly grins at each other. Was everybody obsessed over their relationship? Apparently so.

When the knock came she opened the door and was confronted by Andy and his daughter. 'Nicole!' she exclaimed. 'I didn't know you were coming.'

'Surprise,' Andy offered with a grin, brandishing a bag of takeout. 'We'll explain why she's here in a minute. Food first.'

Rusty knew Andy was coming and had managed to keep himself awake, but he was still surprised at their other guest. 'Hey Nicole,' he said as they walked in. 'How are you?'

'Better than you, little bro,' she replied as she sat down next to him on the sofa. Although all the kids of the prior relationships were on talking terms, by fact of sheer geography Rusty and Nicole were the closest. They affectionately referred to each other as "little bro" and "big sis" and considered themselves responsible for Sharon and Andy's relationship in the first place.

'That's entirely true,' Rusty said as he groaned. 'I feel like death warmed over.'

'Still well enough to complain though,' Nicole said as she was handed her food. 'Want some?' she gestured at her bowl.'

'I will be sick if you give me that,' Rusty announced and Andy laughed. 'Come on Nicole, don't make Rusty worse.'

'So, not that I don't want to see you, but why are you here tonight Nicole? Andy didn't indicate you were coming,' Sharon asked as they were halfway through their meal.

'To offer my help,' Nicole said simply. 'If you're both willing, I can stay here with Rusty for the next few days so you can go to work.'

Sharon's fork paused halfway to her mouth as she stared at Andy's daughter. 'Are you serious?' she asked.

'Well why not?' Dean's taken the boys to visit some of his cousins and I was planning to work from home this week anyway. It is easy to work here. After all, all you're going to do is sleep, isn't it?' She nudged Rusty and he managed a weak grin.

'I don't mind,' he said. 'But I don't want to put you out.'

'It's no bother,' Nicole said. 'What do you think Sharon? Obviously I'd keep you updated and call if there was a problem.'

'If Rusty is happy with it, then I'm incredibly grateful,' she said. 'Thank you Nicole.'

They resumed eating and Sharon smiled at the sight of them together, like an average family.

Maybe not such a bad few days after all.

 **FIN**

/

Author's Note: And that's it. The end of my first Major Crimes story. And sadly, also my last for now.

Note 2: I am from the UK, and I don't know the procedure in US hospitals. What I have described here is mainly from experiences in the UK.


End file.
